Let’s not forget that dealing with a myriad of daily issues and keeping tenants with different needs and personalities happy is a job in itself. Add to that the wealth of knowledge that’s required to do the job effectively, it can be, I’m quite sure, nothing short of overwhelming. From HVAC systems and plumbing to fire safety and security, the range of education involved to do this job is phenomenal.

With a background in fire safety and familiarity with the 1,000-page-long National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) “Life Safety Code,” I have always marveled at how much information a facility manager is expected to know to do his or her job.

With that said, one can see how I am not totally surprised to see how many facilities are not in compliance with NFPA’s Life Safety Code.

Currently NFPA requires all nonhealthcare facilities to have their fire and smoke dampers inspected every four years, and to verify that they are operational. What I have found is that those facilities that are not in compliance with this code typically fall into two categories: those who know the code exists but lack the resources to complete the inspections, and those that don’t even know that NFPA requires the inspection of dampers.

I have found that for those who didn’t know about the code, there is certainly no cavalier attitude about having their dampers tested. Facilities managers take being in compliance very seriously and are concerned that they were not aware of the existence of the code. However, as previously addressed, with the mountains of information that these individuals must retain in order to sufficiently perform their duties, it’s understandable that one of the codes can slip through the cracks.

Armed with the knowledge that all dampers need to be inspected as mandated by the NFPA, these individuals tend to move quickly towards compliance. After all, they know that safety is paramount and that keeping their building in compliance is part of their job.

The real issue here lies with those individuals who know about the code’s existence but simply lack the resources to complete the inspection, both in time and money.

Facilities are perpetually running on a thin staff with widening demands, and by adding the inspections to their workload, it gets close to impossible to find the time to complete the inspections thoroughly.

Damper inspections are indeed labor intensive and not an easy undertaking when attention needs to be directed towards more time sensitive tasks such as HVAC or plumbing repairs. The answer here may be to search out a contractor that specializes in fire and smoke damper inspections to ease the burden on your staff and to ensure a quality final product.

The code to inspect the dampers was initially put into place because of fires that occurred in Las Vegas hotels that led to over 80 fatalities. This number could have been substantially less had there been operable fire and smoke dampers.

The United States Government also commissioned a study on the World Trade Center disaster and found that had the twin towers had more working smoke dampers, the fumes that spread through the building would have been slowed down and possibly allowed for more people to escape that tragic day.

In the wake of September 11, terrorism is certainly on the minds of today’s facilities manager, and we should all be prepared.

The dampers in your facility are there for a reason, and ultimately the NFPA, ICC, and more and more insurance companies are requiring that you have proof that your dampers are inspected periodically to ensure that they are working properly.

While the inspection of fire and smoke dampers may be a cumbersome task for the facility’s staff, the act is far from an exercise in futility. Like all requirements in NFPA’s Life Safety Code, it is there for a reason – not simply to be done so you can say “you are in compliance.” Although that is one reason, it is essential to minimize the risk from fire and ultimately protect the individuals in your building.

There is a quick lesson to be learned when it comes to compliance in your building. The bottom line is that fire and smoke dampers are as important as any other fire suppression device in your building. The goal here would be to understand the true meaning of NFPA’s Life Safety Code. These inspections are not to be completed simply because of “code.” Their purpose is to minimize the danger to life from fire.

Don’t let resources, or the lack there of, stand in the way of saving lives.